Prosecutor: Woman's lies led to mistaken arrest

A Red Lion woman was sentenced to probation Wednesday on charges that she lied to police and led to the arrest of a Spring Garden Township man.

Janet Constance Fleming, 23, plead guilty to making false reports to police and was ordered to serve six months' probation and to pay roughly $3,200 in restitution to the man she accused of forcing her to drive him to his house, said York County deputy prosecutor RJ Fisher.

She was also charged with unsworn falsification to authorities when she was arrested by York Area Regional Police in June, but that charge was dropped, Fisher said.

The charges stem from a false report Fleming filed with police in May.

Fleming told police that Matthew D. Chronister of Spring Garden Township forced her to let him into her car as she was leaving Heritage Hills Golf Resort in York Township and to take him to his house early on May 13, 2012.

Chronister was arrested that day at his home and charged with unlawful restraint, false imprisonment, simple assault, harassment and terroristic threats.

Police were able to track down Chronister after he left his cellphone in Fleming's car.

Fisher said Fleming admitted in court that she did give Chronister a ride home that morning but she volunteered to do so.

The charges against Chronister were dismissed and expunged from his record, Chronister said in an email.